A few magazines and blogs I like, pretty much say you have to have a rigid frame, to have a chopper. Or a sissy bar that reaches the axle. Or a kicker. etc etc

What do you think?

What is a chopper?

Who decides?

Who gives a fuck?

Why do these people always have to make rules about what is, and what isn't?

Who are they?

Who made them the bottom line?

You chop shit off.

You CHOP. SHIT. OFF.

So the Question is...

How much shit do you chop off? To make it a chopper?

And if you're building a bike/chopper, do you add a bunch of shit then chop it off?

Because if you don't then what you have is a custom bike, not a chopper.

Because a chopper has to be chopped.

Again, if you love your bike, then who really gives a fuck?

Its like that other question that those stupid magazines and blogs love : who's a real biker?

I think that the Bikers of yore didn't really give a fuck about either of these questions and just made their bikes the way they wanted too, and rode them the way they wanted too. Without worrying too much if someone thought they were real bikers or not, or what the style of their bike was called, as long as they showed class.

Which brings me to another question: What ever happened to CLASS?

'cause I don't know much, but I do know that huffing and puffing and telling everyone what makes a real biker or what you have to do to be a real biker or what you have to ride to be a real biker is showing no class at all.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Around the same time AMF was doing the HD thing a Japanese company called Honda was getting serious about the American motorcycle market. There was a divide in the Motorcycle community. There were those who were loyal to the Moco regardless of what they did to the brand (see 3 wheel golf carts) and those who demanded reliable performance, handling and speed.

Honda was on top of that game by the mid 70s.

In 1976 my old man bought a brand new model the '76 CB750F (Super Sport). In those days this bike was it, if GoingFast was your desire, his was yellow only a short time as I recall...

Even today though when you talk to people who know they wax poetic about the F model as the king of the street at that time.

However as with any bike that's worth it's salt and affordable, the customizers wouldn't leave them be long.

Enter the Honda chop. Dudes like Denver Mullins were cranking out some super cool chops with the 750 power plant installed

Hell biker rags like Street Chopper and Wind were running them in their pages

Rightfully so these bikes were legit chops. Odd though with all the talk of "period correctness" that flies around cyber space more of these long bikes aren't showing up.... or is it that odd after all?

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

I know there some OG followers of SW that know a little something about these days and I'd love to hear from you in the comments area. Maybe I don't remember these days the way they were.

To add some context to this I'm 39 years old this year, my old man is 59 and used to haul me around on the back of his bike back in these days. When I was 10 (ish) the disdain with AMF was at a fever pitch.

I've read some stuff about how shovels and iron-heads are the coolest of cool right now and that those were the "glory days"... I say BULLSHIT!

I recall my uncle havening a Super glide (I did love it, it oozed style) but taking nothing but shit for carrying extra valve guides with him and being able to replace them on the side of the road. There were also the "did you get a free tennis racket with that" or "I think your helmet used to be a bowling ball" comments that never seemed to end.

Oh and my dads friend who had the crazy limp...."that's just Sportster knee, just like tennis elbow". Trouble head was a real saying and it's wasn't cool....

Lots of cooky gimmicks as I recall (it would seem the Dark Customs apple didn't fall far from the tree)

Now don't get me wrong, I have a soft spot for a neat old shovel and I generally think Iron heads are cool. I love the style of these old machines,the vibe they give off and with todays strong after market parts the majority of the bugs are gone from the remaining machines.

But the glory days?

Give me a fucking break they almost put HD in the shitter and ran all the neat old dealers and hang outs right into the ground. There was no glory there just good ole fashion American greed that gave rise to the Goldwing era.

I recall Pan and Knuck dudes treating Shovel guys as if they were Dark Custom customers these days with their new fangled "electric start".

Maybe I'm wrong and these were the best of days but from my memories, I don't see the Moco having changed much at all other than putting out a far better product these days. I also realize this is the opinion of a fool and his blog but hell I have to post something and maybe I will jog some memories.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

If you read this blog regularly you know I scoff at "safety" in general as a mythical place that generally doesn't exist. Safety is more a set of good decisions made using good sense and experience to get you home for the day. Even at that you win some and you loose some.

But I have to say this shit just isn't safe! Who gave Shorbus a damn hot wrench????

It all starts with the blood falcons shirt. Sorry bus couldn't help myself, not sure what you're making but I'm sure it kills.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Back to motorbikes. BillyT from Texas has been putting together this '80 CM400e for a while. It turned out fantastic.

Now for some preaching

To all of you knuckle heads building retarded (dangerous) framed doodad covered bikes, that get all offended when someone says "no, that's not so good" and instantly hide behind the "you hate metrics" or think you're blazing the trail of innovation in the name of being different.... Here's an example of a bike that doesn't fit the mold of what's happening right now yet is visually pleasing and functional.

** EDIT** Bike is in fact a CM400e here's a pic of the bike pre chopin"1980 CM400E, 2175 miles, last registered in 1980."

BUT... the engine was swapped to a "6500 mile CB450SC engine with 6 speed"

Why?

"Mainly for the 6 speed. I can run my 15/35 with the 450 and still turn less rpm at 70 in 6th than I do now in 5th. Little more power will be good, too.

This thing is screaming at 70-75, 6500-ish rpm. Even if it didn't make any more power, the 6 speed has shorter and tighter ratios thru 5th, so it should really wake this thing up. "
So I guess in the end it's a chopper & the power plant change only makes the bike cooler.